kit

Meanings

Noun

  • A circular wooden vessel, made of hooped staves.
  • A kind of basket made especially from straw of rushes, especially for holding fish; by extension, the contents of such a basket or similar container, used as a measure of weight.
  • A collection of items forming the equipment of a soldier, carried in a knapsack.
  • Any collection of items needed for a specific purpose, especially for use by a workman, or personal effects packed for travelling.
  • A collection of parts sold for the buyer to assemble.
  • The standard set of clothing, accessories and equipment worn by players.
  • Clothing.
  • A full software distribution, as opposed to a patch or upgrade.
  • The set of skills and abilities chosen for a playable character.
  • A drum kit.
  • A kitten .
  • A kit fox.
  • A young beaver.
  • A young skunk.
  • A young ferret.
  • A young rabbit.
  • A young weasel
  • Synonym of kit violin
  • A school of pigeons, especially domesticated, trained pigeons.

Verb

  • To assemble or collect something into kits or sets or to give somebody a kit. See also kit out and other derived phrases.

Related

Narrower meaning words

Origin

  • From Middle English kyt, kytt, kytte, from Middle Dutch kitte ("a wooden vessel made of hooped staves"). Related to Dutch kit (see below). The further etymology is unknown.
  • The transfer of meaning to the contents of a soldier's knapsack dates to the late 18th century, extended use of any collection of necessaries used for travelling dates to the first half of the 19th century.
  • The further widening of the sense to a collection of parts sold for the buyer to assemble emerges in US English in the mid 20th century.
  • A short form of kitten and/or kitling. From the 16th century (spelled kytte, kitt).
  • From the 19th century also extended to other young animals (mink, fox, beaver, muskrat, etc.), and to a species of small fox ("kit-fox"). Later usage (for other animals) perhaps influenced by chit.
  • 16th century, perhaps from cithara.
  • Borrowed from German kitte, kütte (circa 1880).

Modern English dictionary

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